Target-practice apparatus.



R. D. CLEMSON.

TARGET PRACTICE APPARATUS. APPLICATION men MAY 24. 1911.-

1,244,451 Patented Oct. 23,1917.

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RICHARD D. CLEMSON, OF MIDDLETOW'N, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR T0 HOLLIFIELD TARGET'PRACTICE ROD COMPANY, OF'MIDDLETOWN, NEW YORK, A CORPORA- TION OF NEW YORK.

TARGET-PRACTICE APPARATUS.

. Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. as, 1917.

Application'fild May 24, 1817. Serial No. 170,679.

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Brennan D. CLEMSON,

a citizen of the United States, and aresi dent of Middletown, in the county of Orange and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Target-Practice Apparatus, of which the following is a specification, reference being bad therein to the accompanying drawing.

In practice apparatus for small arms, it is common to mark a miniature target by means of a member thrown forward from the muzzle of the gun by the impact of the firing pin upon a rod extending forward from the rear end of the barrel. In certain rifles, however, usually those of small bore, rim fire cartridges are used and the firing pin, or equivalent member, in such cases strikes the rim insteadof the central portion of the cartridges. If the ordinary practice rod is used in such arms, its rear end face is, at best, struck near its circumference with results which are not satisfactory since if it is in a giveninstance so struck as to impel it forward, it is quickly worn, whether hard or soft, becoming marginally battered or chipped, or both.

To obviate this difiiculty is the primary object of this invention. This object is attained by providing the rear section or segment of the practice rod with an annular terminal flange thinner than, but occupying the place in the barrel of, the flange of ordinary cartridges.

In the accompanying drawings,

Figure l is an axial section of the rear portion of a rifle barrel rod therein.

Fig. 2 is a view,partly in axial section, showing the rear portion of the practice rod removed from the barrel and from a tubular rod casing shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged axial section of the impact-receiving segment of the rod.

In these views, A represents the rear por-' with the practice E and gently resists forward movement of this segment. The tube and its inclosed segments, including target marking parts not shown, have no novelty herein claimed. In the barrels cartridge space, at the rear end of the tube, is a separate rod segment D having its preferably rounded forward end normally in contact with the central portion of the rear end face of the segment E and having at its own rear end a marginal flange I normally lying in the rear portion of the recess 0. This flange being thinner than the usual cartridge flange is obviously readily moved slightly forward 1n the recess. Preferably the rear face of the section D and its flange is hardened or tempered, as indicated at J, Fig. 3, so that it may wear little under impact of the firing pin, which is shown in dotted lines at L, Fig. 1, in a position which itmay have. Usually, that position is such that a portion of the force of impact is exerted in line with the outer part of the body of the segment D so that the flange bears only a part'of the blow, and the segment therefore lasts indefinitely, although countless impacts upon the flange alone might cause gradual deterioration.

If the flange filled the recess C or rested in contact with its bottom, the body of the segment D would not advance at all under the impact of the firing pin and the rod would be inoperative, but when the flange may advance even very slightly, the force of impact is transmitted perfectly and the forward segment of the rod is shot forward through a long distance even if the movements of the segment D are scarcely appreciable to the eye.

It may be noted that this rod while especially devised for rim-fire arms, operates equally well ifused in center fire weapons, but in such use the flange merely reinforces the marginal portion of the rod segment D adding to its durability underthe central blows.

What I claim is:

1. A practice rod rear segment having its rear end provided with an annular flange of a thickness less than the thickness of the base flange of an ordinarv metallic cartridge.

2. A practice rod having its rear segment provided at its own rear end with a peripheral flange enlarging the rear end face and having that face harder than the body of the segment.

3. The combination barrel having in its rear lar recess to receive the base flange of an ordinary metallic cartridge, of a practice rod segment having at its rear end a circumferential flange adapted to lie .Within said recess at some distance from the bottom With a small arms end face an annu- 10 thereof.

Gopies of this patent may be obtained for barrel having; in its rear end face an annular recess to receive the base flange of an ordinary metallic cartridge, oi a practice rod segment having at its rear end a circumferential flange adapted to lie Within said recess at some distance from the bottom thereof, and mean s yieldingly opposing the movement 0]": the nange toward said bottom. In testimony whereof I hereunto allix my signature.

RECHARD D. CLEMSON.

five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G. 

